History Of Carter Oklahoma, page 2 (Beckham Co. OK) ==================================================================== USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Jerri Hodde ==================================================================== Descendants of Page Two Beckham Co. Oklahoma Generation No. 1 1. PAGE TWO BECKHAM CO.3 OKLAHOMA (BECKHAM COUNTY2, BECKHAM1 CO.OKLAHOMA). Notes Information submitted by;Jearldene Hodde Permission given by Mr.J.M.DENBY Jr.- August 3,2000-For the families of Carter, Beckham CO.,Oklahoma.---- -CIVIL War VETERANS in Carter ,Oklahoma 1913 ---- Josiah F.POARCH,Bob ALLEN,John B,RIDLEY,Mr.RUSHAW,Charley POARCH,Geo.W.WINBURN.- DR.JEFFERSON McCLUSKEY DENBY -Carter,Oklahoma Pioneer By:J.M.DENBY"Jack" Jr.* Dr.Jefferson McCluskey DENBY was born March 15,1876,near Mechanicsville,Tennessee.He was the son of Joseph Samuel DENBY and the grandson of John DENBY of Tennessee. Dr.DENBY was one of fourteen children of Joseph Samuel and Margaret Josephine (Alexander)DENBY.There were four sons and ten daughtersin the family.In addition,seven foster children were raised in the home,making a total of twenty-one children.Dr.DENBY had an uncle and a cousin who were both doctors,one in Missouri and the other one in Tennessee . Dr.DENBY'S sister,Mrs. Georget T.MARTIN,of McMinnville,Tennessee ,my aunt relates to the following: "While growing up,my brother,who we always called "M" was very trustworthy and seemed much older than he was.He began teaching school at the age of seventeen.He quit teaching school and sold bed springs from house to house.He next sold eye glasses,"specs"as we called them,also traveling from house to house in rural areas.I well remember the case in which he kept his display of eye glasses.It was a box lined with purple velvet with tiny pockets for different glasses."M" later went to Virginia and still later to Missouri where he sold sewing machines.He owned this business until he had a large crew of salesmen working for him.One day he suddenly decided to become a doctor.He sold all of his equipment and went to the University of Nashville,Tennessee,where he graduated in Medicine about 1905. I remember during his college days he came home to our little place in Tennessee and sat in the yard and watched the little chickens as they picked grass in the yard.As the chickens grew up he would sit and watch the young roosters fight.I think he found this relaxing from his college studies." After graduating in Medicine,Dr.DENBY practiced for five years at Smithville,Tennessee.He then moved to Texas and in 1910 married Miss Jimmy BYFORD at Hillsboro,Texas. Jimmie (BYFORD) DENBY,my mother,was born in the same community as my father,in Tennessee.Her parents died when she was two years of age and Mr.N.G.MADDUX of the same community was appointed her guardian. In 1910,Dr. & Mrs.DENBY moved to Carter,Beckham County,Oklahoma,where he set up his medical practice. In an early day of horses and buggies,my dad (Dr.DENBY) and my mother were several miles southeast of Carter on a " call ."This was just after daylight,and as they were approaching a house by the side of the road,Dad saw a little farm girl,by the side of her house,answering the call of nature,and since he did not want to embarrass her,he suggested to my mother that they look the other way as they went by,but just as the horse and buggy was passing this place-the little girl kept at her chore at the same time,shouting "Hello! Dr.DENBY." We remember Dad as not only being a good family man,and well liked by most everyone,he was also a "Doctor's Doctor." Several times ,doctors from other towns,on their day off,would come over and visit,sometimes they would come out to our house,one and a half miles east of Carter and some would even bring a jug of some kind of spirits. When Dad would get tired of day and night work,and knew that he couldn't go home to rest,because everyone knew where he lived,he would drive out to his farm,on North Fork of Red River,go down in the pasture,and take a nap. One time several years ago,when I was a little boy,I went with Dad on a "call" to a farm house out east of Carter on Elk Creek,eight or ten miles away.(This was in the days of the "Whoop and Holler Telephone,"and everyone on the party line knew where the doctor was,and with night coming on,people would sometimes ask the doctor to come by their home.) On this occasion he had gone to see a farm lady who was not very sick.Out on the section line road,near the farm house,were two "Model T"Ford touring cars full of people,neither had any lights.They were driving by moonlight,but each thought if they met anyone,the other car would have light. Both cars met head on,and the plate glass windshields broke,and showered all these people with splinters of glass.They were not seriously injured but were all cut and bleeding.They were all brought to the farm house,where Dad was,and he spent the rest of the night sewing them up. Our family consisted of my mother and a sister,Helen Jo,and myself. In the summer of 1942,my father became ill and spent about a month in the Elk City,Oklahoma Hospital.We later moved him to San Bernardino,California,for the benefit of his health.Dad passed away in California,August 22,1942,at the age of 66 years.He is buried in the cemetery at Carter,Oklahoma.